Tech titans dominate the top 10 largest corporations in the world by market capitalization, with Apple leading the pack with $3.434 trillion. Amazon, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Alphabet, and NVIDIA come next, demonstrating the tech sector’s enormous influence on the world market.
A company’s market value and influence are reflected in its market capitalization.
The market capitalization of a company is typically used to measure its size on a stock exchange. It is computed by multiplying the number of outstanding shares by the current share price. When investors talk about the largest listed companies, they usually talk about market capitalization (market cap) rather than headcount or earnings per share.
More than half of these companies are connected to the technology industry, even though no single commercial domain dominates the top 10 list. This demonstrates that the technology industry is one of the major drivers of the market, particularly for investors interested in funding AI-related businesses. Similar to how income statements and staff counts give context, market value provides an assessment of which companies have the broadest influence on the status of the economy by adding up the worth of all of their shares. The exponential growth of tech giants over the last ten years is a prime example of how disruptive ideas may quickly transform a business from a promising startup into a major player in the world.
With a market capitalization of 2.75 trillion dollars in May 2024, Apple took the top spot; some of the most well-known companies in the world occupied the other four spots in the top five. The top five corporations by market capitalization were completed by Alphabet, the parent company of Google, Microsoft, and Saudi Aramco. Notably, with a pre-tax income of more than $300 billion US dollars, Saudi Aramco topped the list of the most profitable companies in the world in 2023.
Nvidia has attracted a lot of interest because of its unexpected profitability in the most recent quarter of 2024. The company is ranked sixth among the top firms by market capitalization. The company is well acclaimed for its proficiency in creating GPUs (graphics processing units) that are standalone.
Notably, generative AI platforms like Google’s Bard and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are powered in large part by Nvidia’s GPUs. Due to its dominant position in the GPU market and impressive financial results when compared to several of its competitors in the industry, Nvidia is very well-liked.
Below is a comprehensive list of the top 10 global Companies ranked by market capitalization as of 2024:
Market Capitalization: $3.37 trillion
Price: $225.89
Headquarters: USA
In June 2023, Apple made history by reaching a $3 trillion market capitalization, the first publicly traded company to do so. Despite a slight dip in early 2024, Apple reclaimed the title of the world’s most valuable company from Microsoft on June 12th. This was due to the unveiling of innovative artificial intelligence initiatives, including the “Apple Intelligence” platform integrating Conversation ML technology into Siri and Apple’s Writing Tools. Apple’s commitment to cutting-edge innovation in consumer electronics and AI research solidified its leading position in the market.
Market Capitalization:$3.197 trillion
Price: $130.00
Headquarters: USA
NVIDIA, a Silicon Valley corporation, focuses on designing GPUs for visual computing and AI. Their deep learning innovations have advanced artificial intelligence by incorporating thousands of Tensor Cores in each chip. With a semiconductor market share exceeding 90% for AI workloads, NVIDIA powers ChatGPT and large language models. Their collaboration with Meta led to the Llama programming framework, simplifying AI service development for enterprises and solidifying their leadership in bringing AI to businesses globally.
Market Capitalization: $3.133 trillion
Price: $421.53
Headquarters: USA
Microsoft is a global technology company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. It’s best known for developing the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office suite. Over the years, Microsoft has expanded its portfolio to include cloud computing with Azure, hardware like Surface devices, and gaming through Xbox. It’s a major player in both consumer and enterprise technology sectors, continually evolving to meet the needs of a digital world.
Market Capitalization: $2.061 trillion
Price: $168.40
Headquarters: USA
Alphabet Inc. is the parent company of Google, created in 2015 as part of a corporate restructuring. Founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998, Google began as a search engine and has since expanded into various tech domains, including advertising, cloud computing, and hardware. Alphabet serves as a holding company for Google and its various subsidiaries, such as Waymo (self-driving cars) and Verily (life sciences), allowing each to operate more independently while fostering innovation across diverse industries.
Market Capitalization: $1.870 trillion
Price: $178.22
Headquarters: USA
Amazon, founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, started as an online bookstore and has grown into one of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms. It offers a vast range of products and services, including cloud computing through Amazon Web Services (AWS), streaming via Amazon Prime Video, and smart home devices like Alexa. Amazon’s reach extends into logistics, entertainment, and technology, making it a major player in multiple industries.
Market Capitalization: $1.828 trillion
Price: $7.56
Headquarters: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco, officially known as the Saudi Arabian Oil Group, is the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1933, it is the world’s largest oil producer and one of the most valuable companies globally. Aramco manages the kingdom’s vast petroleum reserves and plays a critical role in global energy markets. Beyond oil, the company is involved in refining, petrochemicals, and energy technology development.
Market Capitalization: $1.338 trillion
Price: $529.28
Headquarters: USA
Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook Inc., is a technology conglomerate founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004. The company rebranded to Meta in 2021 to reflect its focus on building the metaverse—a collective virtual shared space. Meta owns several major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and is heavily invested in virtual reality and augmented reality technologies through its Oculus division.
Market Capitalization: $967.00 Billion
Price: $448.77
Headquarters: USA
Berkshire Hathaway Inc., led by Warren Buffett, is a multinational conglomerate holding company based in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1839, it has diverse interests, including insurance, utilities, manufacturing, and retail. The company is renowned for its value investing approach and long-term growth strategy, with a portfolio of major businesses like GEICO and Dairy Queen, as well as significant investments in companies like Apple and Coca-Cola.
Market Capitalization: $909.89 Billion
Price: $175.45
Headquarters: Taiwan
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is a leading semiconductor foundry based in Taiwan, founded in 1987 by Morris Chang. TSMC specializes in manufacturing advanced microchips for a wide range of applications, from consumer electronics to high-performance computing. As a critical player in the global tech supply chain, TSMC supports major technology companies like Apple, Nvidia, and AMD, driving innovation in the semiconductor industry
Market Capitalization: $830.02 Billion
Price: $921.81
Headquarters: USA
Eli Lilly and Company, founded in 1876, is a global pharmaceutical company based in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is renowned for developing and marketing a wide range of medications, including treatments for diabetes, cancer, and mental health conditions. Lilly is known for its innovations in drug development and its commitment to advancing medical science and improving patient outcomes.
